FLINT, MI -- The city has spent more than $12,000 on a special prosecutor to convict Councilman Eric Mays of a single misdemeanor, and the meter is still running.

Mays, who defended himself against five misdemeanor charges related to a November traffic stop, has appealed the only charge a Flint District Court jury convicted him of -- impaired driving.

The charges were filed after police said they found Mays outside a borrowed car, which was facing the wrong way with missing and damaged tires, on I-475 at about 3 a.m. that day.

The incident led to calls for Mays' resignation from Mayor Dayne Walling, Council President Scott Kincaid and Emergency Manager Darnell Earley.

Mays has yet to be sentenced for impaired driving and said that he isn't close to being finished fighting the city over it in court.

The councilman has asked Genesee Circuit Judge Joesph J. Farah to issue a stay in the District Court sentencing, continuing the work of special prosecutor Michael Gildner, who's being paid $110 per hour.

MLive-The Flint Journal obtained Gildner's invoices though a Freedom of Information Act request. The billings from the law office of Simon, Figura & Parker range from $225.50 to $3,272.46 and cover billing dates that start Jan. 15 and end June 18.

"My position is they are not through spending ...," said Mays. "They'll waste more money if I get (an order) to do closing arguments on impaired driving."

Representing himself, Mays frustrated Flint District Judge Nathaniel Perry and Gildner during his five-day trial, and Perry ordered the councilman to wrap up his closing argument to the jury before Mays said he was finished with what he had to say.

If he would have been given the time he needed, Mays said, he could have avoided any conviction. That's the basis of Mays' appeal to Farah.

Gildner was appointed special prosecutor by Flint City Attorney Peter Bade, who said his office should not prosecute Mays because of the potential appearance of a conflict of interest.

The Journal could not reach Bade for comment on the Mays case but the city attorney has said he appointed a special prosecutor because he did not want there to be an instance in which he was providing Mays legal advice as a city councilman and also prosecuting him criminally.

Mays said he's been willing to end his legal fight with the city to help save taxpayer spending on the special prosecutor.

"I would rather see that $12,000 go to the senior (citizens) or public safety," he said. "We should be able to sit down in a room and work something out."

One possible area for compromise: Gildner has asked Perry to sentence Mays to a maximum 93 days in jail.

Mayshas contended the charges against him were "trumped up" by city attorneys before they turned the case over to Gildner.

The councilman has continued to maintain "something might have been put in a drink and tires might have been cut" on the vehicle he borrowed on the night of his arrest.

Mays attempted to argue those points in court during his trial, but found himself facing threats of contempt of court from Perry during his unconventional defense, which including calling a surprise witness who used his Fifth Amendment protection against self incrimination when asked if he was the actual wrong-way driver.

At one point in the trial, Mays removed his dentures to make a point about the results of a Breathalyzer test that showed he had more than the legal limit of alcohol in his body at the time of his arrest.

He was originally charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, no proof of insurance, failure to report an accident and refusal to be fingerprinted.